Discover the Unexpected Barossa

With thousands of stories to tell and characters around every corner, Tourism Barossa's new video is encouraging people to discover the unexpected Barossa. Never to be satisfied with the status quo, there’s a new breed of boundary pushers including winemakers, artisan producers, growers, distillers, chefs and brewers, working behind the scenes to carefully carve and mould the authentic Barossa produce and offer something a little ‘unexpected’. (view the Unexpected Barossa video below and meet our Unexpected characters).

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A video reveals a seemingly unexpected side of the Barossa, a region that is 175 years old and counting, but one that offers constant rediscoveries and is on a perpetual mission of innovation.

The video features a group of winemakers, chefs and Barossa personalities who have been recognised as some of the region’s next generation of innovators, creators and producers. Featuring Corey Fechner (Apex Bakery), David Geyer (Geyer Wine Co/Yetti & the Kokonut), Sofi and Pete Hiscock (Rock of Wisdom), Josh Pfeiffer (Whistler Wines), Lachlan Colwill (Hentley Farm), Angus Wardlaw (Brothers at War), Tuoi Do (Ferment Asian), it tells a story about the region’s ongoing quest to evolve and reinvent itself, while still acknowledging the strong history, traditions and people that established the Barossa as the globally renowned region of today.

Tourism Barossa’s Regional Tourism Manager, Cathy Wills is excited to share the next chapter in an age-old / ongoing story of Barossa innovation.

“Our region is steeped in history and emerging from the richness of tradition is a discovery of the new,” she said.

“I love that Barossa growers, winemakers and food producers are on a quest for self-improvement and reinvention, and that we continue to see fantastic characters emerge and their stories unfold."

“I think visitors to the Barossa want to connect with our generational traditions as well as discover something or someone totally unexpected around the next corner. We’d love to entice visitors to explore, seek out and discover the Unexpected Barossa – to realise that each time they visit opens the possibility of a new experience, a chance encounter and an opportunity to embrace a side of the Barossa they have never realised existed.”

Regional Tourism Manager, Cathy Wills said, Tourism Barossa’s new campaign provides an insight into the Barossa through the eyes of the innovators.

“It’s their reflection on the Barossa that they love and a celebration of their contribution to our constantly evolving region.”

Meet some of our Unexpected Barossa characters

Lachlan Colwill - Hentley Farm

As a chef the absolute everything at the end of the day is the produce you decide to source. Without quality farmers, producers and natural surrounding resources you can't cook quality food.

The Barossa is abundant with these things and leaves me in a position to truly showcase a bountiful region to our guests who are traveling from all over the world to visit the Barossa. My philosophy is to seek inspiration from everything around me and transfer that feeling into the food we cook. I've tried for many years to bowl at perfect 300 game at Barossa Bowland. Unfortunately the closest I've got is 239 which doesn't quite get my name in the hall of fame! Watch this space, I'm determined to never leave the Barossa until the perfect game dream is on the CV.

David Geyer - Geyer Wine Co

Geyer Wine Co. is the result of one man following his passion and seeing what eventuates when you do so.

Dave Geyer has a genuine love for making (and drinking) wine as well as reinvigorating old vines that have been neglected over the years. Dave is Barossa born and bred and understands the true value of ancient vines and grape varieties that the region offers. He sets out to encourage vineyards to reach their full potential through organic practices in order to produce quality fruit that represents the variety and regional characteristics of the Barossa.The resultant wines then require minimal intervention and are instead supported by Dave to express their individuality.

Arno Wine Co

At Arno Wine Co we produce dangerously drinkable wines from the Barossa Valley, small batch but big on flavour and value. We are a small, boutique wine label, the rambunctious vinous child of husband and wife team Ruby Stobart and Craig Viney, with a simple aim.

To source grapes from growers that farm in a thoughtful, sustainable way and to gently coax them into the bottle without a heavy winemaking thumbprint. To create wines that offer the drinker great pleasure and a snapshot of a given growing season and sub-region within the Barossa.

While we want our wines to speak clearly of the place and time, deliciousness is always the end result. We all enjoy geeking out on wine, but we like to think our wines are for ‘drinkin, not thinkin’. Wines that drink beautifully, relax you, stimulate conversation amongst good friends and are oh-so comfortable at the dinner table.

Dan Graham - Sigurd Wines

Based around my great grandfather who spawned from Norway, I didn’t know the guy but have a photo with my great grandmother which I do not recall….. was possibly only 2 years old...So Sigurd travelled from Norway to find work in Australia back in the very day (I think he was 19, so around 1913 I think it was) and found the best way to become a citizen was to join the army, so was sent over to fight for us.

I suppose he was up to abit of mischief, was caught AWOL after being shot the first time (After he was healed that is) and then sent back to the front lines in France, where he was shot again…. This time in the elbow so useless at holding a gun, lucky for me was sent back to Aus.

From what I know he was a pretty mischievous sort of bloke so embodies my personality quite well. Back in the Barossa making wines with low intervention and trying for a low impact ethos on my surroundings.

Brett Grocke - Eperosa

Fifth generation Barossan with my forefathers planting vineyards and starting a winery in the 1840's on the banks of Jacob's Creek. My family has owned and farmed vineyards here in every generation since.

Our wine style is firmly entrenched in the vineyard and is the basis of our motto 'wines built from the dirt up'. With many years of experience in vineyard management and consulting, we've fine-tuned our farming practices allowing us to produce fruit of the highest quality. We follow organic principles in our farming creating soils that support healthy grapevines with resilient, flavoursome fruit. Our winemaking is along traditional methods where we endeavour to capture the true characters of the vineyard.

Our aim is to harvest fruit that is balanced, vibrant and flavoursome and requires little or no additions. Our winery was build foremost for its function, simple yet beautiful in its design harnessing the thermal properties of earth and concrete. The end result is an underground structure with a large thermal mass stabilising temperature and humidity, ideal for wine maturation and part of our sustainable grapegrowing and winemaking philosophy.

Josh Pfeiffer - Whistler Wines

My family has been involved in the wine industry for four generations, so grape growing and winemaking is in my blood.

I am trying to create fun, drinkable wines from our pocket of the Barossa Valley using Organic and Biodynamic practices in the vineyard to improve our soil health, and ultimately make better wine. The Barossa is a great place to grow grapes due to the soil and climate that we have, and the wines are well known around the world.

Angus Wardlaw - Brothers At War

Brothers at War Wines started in 2013 by Brothers Angus and Sam Wardlaw (along with referee Matt Carter) although young, these brothers could be considered veterans of the wine making game.

They were lucky enough to have ready access to the old man’s (David Wardlaw) vast knowledge who, alongside of some of the Barossa's pioneers, helped shape the Barossa wine industry. Our philosophy is to produce unique, world class wines that we as brothers can be proud of. Our goal is to source exceptional small premium parcels of fruit from some of Barossa’s greatest characters! Once in the Winery we use a minimalistic approach to winemaking and craft the small-parcels of chosen fruit to show varietal and vineyard expression with a beautiful final result in bottle.

Rasa Wine

Simply, we want to make wine in a style that we enjoy drinking.The concept that a bottle of wine can alter a mood is where "Rasa" comes from. The direct link between art and science is a fascinating one. Both of those worlds are important to us and they meet within winemaking. We endeavour to create wines that not only entertain and are filled with character but that are also fundamentally delicious.

Brett Durand - Durand Distilling

I wanted to make pastis. My grandfather was a five-foot-four Frenchman that married a six-foot-two German blonde, and one of my earliest memories of him was drinking this cloudy licorice. He was being a bit naughty and showing a kid what his favourite drink was… It was sort of something that had been dwelling in the back of my mind for a very long time.

At the moment we’re making a particular savoury-style gin called The Matriarch… It’s a very savoury, green olive, rosemary, juniper kind of gin. It’s a very close cousin to a dirty martini, quite finely balanced so you can use it for cocktail, or just gin and tonic with some ice and lime. We also make a sloe gin, I went and got a biosecurity import permit from the Government so I could import traditional sloe berries from the United Kingdom, and we make a sloe gin from that, but… it’s a rare breed.

Bruno & George

Bruno & George is the label and ambition of three mates who, over copious amounts of wine consumed, thought, ‘lets make our own’.

Yes, easier said than done but with one objective, decades of experience, a genuine love for the fruit of the Barossa Valley, and plenty of passion. Here we are.

We started in 2013 with two tonnes of single vineyard Grenache and have since expanded our range to three wines consisting of the original Grenache, a single vineyard Shiraz and a Nebbiolo Rose.

We use traditional methods and as little intervention as possible resulting in a range of wines that are food friendly and interesting from first glass to last. We aim to produce wines that are a little bit different but above all do justice to the vineyards that they are sourced from.

Sofi & Pete Hiscock - Rock of Wisdom

When not hugging cows, they can be found WINNING in the winery, creating minimal intervention Barossa Valley wines to allow the expression of the fruit to be superfly. Who likes to party?

Forage Supply Co

Forage Supply Co. aims to empower the public to make small, but important changes in their everyday lives that will positively impact the environment for future generations.

Scott Rogasch and Justin Westhoff were born and raised in South Australia’s iconic Barossa Valley. Scott brings a passion for conservation, witnessing firsthand the delicate ecosystems all over the world through years of travel and diving. Along with his successful AFL career at Port Adelaide, Justin is dedicated to preserving the environment for his young growing family

Yetti & The Kokonut

Yetti and the Kokonut came to life in 2015 after David Geyer and Koen Janssens shared one too many wines in an Adelaide drinking establishment.The decision was made to experiment with forgotten, ancient grape varieties in ways that had previously been shunned by established Barossa Winemakers.

Resurrecting old vineyards, we work hand in hand with vignerons using organic practices to ensure the lesser-known varietal history of the Barossa and Eden Valley remains intact. All wines are subject to minimal intervention. Most have skin contact, a proportion either destemmed or whole bunch, minimal sulphur additions, aged oak and plenty of love.

Western Ridge Brewing Collective

It takes a lot of beer to make good wine so the Western Ridge Brewing Collective was born; Barossa - Beer Consumed! We are a fairly hairy group of brewers focussed on utilising small batch, traceable ingredients to make real craft beer.

Wherever possible we source our ingredients from independent farmers and we do not use any processed ingredients in our beer. Our beers are made in small batches and released fresh to venues around South Australia.

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